Airbnb host fined $5k for refusing guest

An Airbnb host who cancelled a woman’s reservation during a snowstorm because of her ethnicity has been fined $5,000 (£3,857) and ordered to attend a college course in Asian-American studies.

Dyne Suh had booked Tami Barker’s mountain cabin in Big Bear, California, for a skiing weekend with friends in February.
But Ms Barker refused to rent the property to her just minutes before the party were due to arrive, telling her in a message via the Airbnb app: “One word says it all. Asian.”
She told Ms Suh: “I wouldn’t rent it to u if u were the last person on earth.”
When the UCLA law graduate told the host she would complain to Airbnb, Ms Barker replied: “Go ahead… It’s why we have trump … I will not allow this country to be told what to do by foreigners.”
The fine and penalty to attend the college course was imposed due to an agreement between California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) and short-term rental business Airbnb following an investigation into the matter.
Ms Barker’s punishment also included making a personal apology to Ms Suh and performing community service at a civil rights organisation.
She was banned as a host by Airbnb shortly after the incident.
Ms Suh posted an emotional video about her ordeal on YouTube at the time.

In it she said: “I’m an American citizen. This is my home. I have been here since I was three years old… I consider myself an American.
“I just feel so hurt… it stings that after living in the US for over 23 years… people can treat you like trash.”
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She said on Friday she was pleased the settlement included Ms Barker’s agreement to attend an Asian-American studies course.
“I hope that more victims of discrimination will feel encouraged to come forward with their own stories,” she wrote in a Facebook post.
“Your pain is not insignificant and you are not alone.
“If we want racism and discrimination to end, we cannot keep suffering in silence.”
DFEH director Kevin Kish said: “We commend Ms Suh, who was motivated to file a complaint by a desire to encourage other victims of discrimination to step forward and stand against injustice.”